i'm going to serve. >> reporter: reporting for in america, sol i dad o'brian, atlanta. >> you can see her black in america special, almighty debt, thursday, 9 p.m. eastern. >> it's going to wrap it up for us. thanks for joining us. we'll see you tomorrow bright and early. be there. with bells on. the news continues on cnn with kyra phillips. >> good morning. here is what we're working on this morning for you. >> down. stay down. heads down. stay down. >> cell phone cameras catch the fear during an emergency landing. how a pilot saved the day for 64 people. tackling arizona politics, protester confronts senator john mccain and ends up on the ground. you'll see the entire video. and if you're digging into breakfast is your cereal organic? we're looking at the difference in price, taste and health

benefits as we kick off a week and a long focus on food. 9:00 a.m. on the east coast, 6:00 a.m. out west. you're live in the cnn newsroom. the leader of one of the nation's most influential black mega choyfrps says he is ready to fight against allegations that he pray preyed on four young men to force them into sexual relationships. eddy long stood at the pulpit defending himself at georgia's new birth missionary baptist church. >> as i said earlier, i am not a perfect man. but this thing i'm going to fight. and i want you to know one other thing. i feel like david against

goliath. but i got five rocks and i haven't thrown one yet. >> that was the first time long spoke publicly about the accusations. martin savidge has been digging deeper into long's background. what did you make of yesterday's sermon? >> by his own admission, bishop eddy long said the past week has been the most difficult experience he's had to endure. in fact, most of his parishioners would say exactly the same thing which is why they were so anxious to hear what their pastor had to say. standing before an overflowing crowd of congregants in the mega church he built, bishop eddy long was in no mood to back down. >> there have been allegations and attacks made on me.

i have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man. but i am not the man that's being portrayed on the television. that's not me. that is not me. >> it was long's first public comments since four young men filed lawsuits accusing him of using his spiritual position and the church's wealth to coerce them into sex. so many came to hear what long had to say traffic was still snarled as the service began. >> what do you hope to hear? >> the truth. the truth. >> inside parishioners waited an hour for their embattled pastor to appear. when he did, walking hand in hand with his wife, the crowd came to its feet.

clearly feeling at home, long acknowledged those listening went far beyond his usual sunday morning crowd. >> good morning, new birth. and good morning to all our other guests. >> when long eventually turned to the scandal the levity was gone. >> have i been accused, i'm under attack. >> and his intentions became clear, describing a legal battle of biblical proportions. >> i am not a perfect man. but this thing i'm going to fight. and i want you to know one other thing. i feel like david against goliath. but i got five rocks and i haven't thrown one yet. >> interesting analogy there. after we spoke to a number of parishioners as they were leaving, and it was clear that many of them felt relieved, in

fact, they said as a result of what they heard bishop long was innocent even though the bishop never used those exact words. and because of that fact, that he did not definitively say it there were a few who said they weren't quite sure what to think. >> interesting right when he said i've never claimed to be a perfect man. he said that a couple of times. i think a lot of people thinking what's next. >> it perked up our ears. >> sure. what's next? will he keep preaching every sunday? do we know what's next in the legal battles? >> he will. that was one of the first things he said before he got to the accusations. i've been here and i will be here next sunday so that was a clear indicator he was not going to step down even temporarily. the next question is, could there be other suits? could there be other young men who come forward? or do we simply wait until this ends up in a court of law. and that is exactly where it appears it's headed. >> thanks for joining us this morning. eddy long's scope of

influence touches tens of thousands of people. it's a two decade climb to reach the status of religious powerhouse. he came to new birth in 1987 when the congregation was a few hundred strong. 1995 the church was producing taking authority tv broadcasts which reach 170 countries, five years later long's congregation topped 25,000 members. and by 2005, the atlanta journal constitution reported that long was worth millions of dollars. salaries, benefits and all of the property paid from the nonprofit tax exempt charity he established for the poor. two years later he was on one of -- or was one of six subjects of a senate investigation on lavish spending using church funding. but that investigation just went away. much of that wealth was amassed through sermons that god wants people to be wealthy, that men are the spiritual bedrock of the family, and that who plo

sexuality is wrong. coming up next hour we're talking to reverend carlton pearson who knows bishop long very well. pearson fell out of favor after preaching inclusion, the idea that heaven season open to everyone, including homosexuals. severe weather in the midwest and a levee along the wisconsin river has started to fail threatening up to 100 homes in portage, wisconsin. flood waters could endanger many more homes. further downriver if the levee completely gives out. the levee called a relic by state officials by the way, was built mostly from sand, 120 years ago. levee's failure comes after a week of heavy rainfall hitting the region. emergency crews have been urging residents to evacuate. one homeowner says it's flooded around there before but nothing like this. >> my main concern is as long as the levee don't break how much

damage we're still going to have. if the levee breaks how much damage are we really going to have. >> rob marciano has the latest on the flooding. a lot of people saying okay, portage isn't that big but it's what can happen further down the pike. >> a lot of this is going to filter into the mississippi. you have it on several fronts, southern and central minnesota saw the brunt of the heavy rain last week. and now also parts of central wisconsin saw it. and in some cases the rivers -- the amount of the flooding that these rivers have seen are over what they saw in '93 but it's a lot more localized. here is portage, downtown, here is the wisconsin river making a bend toward the south. this is the levee here that is failing in spots. it's built over 100 years ago, a lot is sand. this is the area that has seen flooding. if the levee fails completely we'll see more. so that's the problem or as of right now most of downtown portage is okay. the problem is that the river,

yeah, it's crested. that's usually good news but it crested at such a record high level it's going to take a long time too to go below flood stage so. two days before that. the forecast is to have it go below flood stage wednesday or thursday. that's a good two if not three days of continued pressure on these very, very old and not well built levees and that's the main concern that they have down there in portage and further downstream. the good news is most of the rain is gone heading to the east. we have our own flooding problems on the east coast flooding the carolinas and we'll talk more about that. flood watches are in effect for 2 to 4, maybe 5 inches of rainfall. the rain pushing east but the rivers still over flood stage in portage. >> keep watching wisconsin. thanks, rob t. consensus on capitol hill is that no vote will be taken on ek tending the bush tax cuts until after the november elections. democratic leaders say they don't have the votes that they need to fast measure.

yesterday on cnn state of the union senator dick durbin said that democrats will come together to take the tax issue up by december 31. a busy week for president obama campaigning for key democrats and the message, getting millions of americans back to work. the president spoke a short time ago on nbc's "today" show. >> we're actually seeing more job growth so far in this recovery than we did in the last recovery we had in 2001. the problem is we just lost so many jobs because of the crisis that we've got a much bigger hole to fill. and that means we're going to have to accelerate job growth. we have to do everything we can to focus on that. and that means making sure that anything we do we're spending that money wisely. >> later today president obama is slated to fine a $42 billion bill designed to help small businesses spur job growth, it

comes on the heels of the proclamation by experts that the great recession as it's called actually ended last summer. but that's not the sentiment of nearly three-quarters of hos those polled. there's this. answering the question, have the president's economic policies done any good? 36% of those polled say yes. the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3%. terrifying moments for passengers on a delta jet, a flight attendant shouts out directions as the plane comes in for an emergency landing. >> down. stay down. heads down. stay down. heads down. stay down. >> how the pilot saved the day for 64 people.

i'm ahmed mady and i'm a homebuilder. my father brought me up to give back to society... felicia jackson promised her late sister that she would take care of her children. but she needed help. i used my american express open card to get half a million points to buy building materials to help build the jackson family a new home. well, i know if my dad was still around, he would have told me, with no doubt... he would have told me it's a no brainer and i knew that from the start. it was an honor. booming is moving forward by giving back. i love my grandma. i love you grandma. grandma just makes me happy. ♪ to know, know, know you grandma is the bestest. the total package. grandpa's cooooooooool.

way cool. ♪ grandpa spoils me rotten. ♪ to know, know, know you ♪ is to love... some people call us frick and frack. we do finger painting. this is how grandpa and i roll. ♪ and i do [ pins fall ] grandma's my best friend. my best friend ever. my best friend ever. ♪ [ laughing ] [ boy laughs ] ♪ to know, know, know you after this we're gonna get ice cream. can we go get some ice cream? yeah. ♪ and i do ♪ and i do ♪ and i do

frightening moments for passengers on a delta airlines flight all caught on tape from inside the plane t. pilot had to make an emergency landing at new york's jfk airport because the plane's landing gear got stuck.

a passenger on board shot this video out the window with their phone as the plane touched down. take a look and listen to how it played out. >> stay down. heads down. stay down. heads down. stay down. heads down. >> sparks flying with 3,000 gallons of fuel inside as the wing tips scraped the runway. 64 people were on the plane. luckily everybody is okay. let's go ahead and head over to seattle now where investigators are trying to determine what caused a water taxi to sloom into a sea wall yesterday. the coast guard said the 78 passengers and crew were on the boat when it rammed the pier. at least five people were taken to the hospital. their injuries not believed to be serious. in washington, the fallout over the nation's worst oil spill, there is a new theory what caused the spill. bp's design of the well may be behind the failure. he serves on the national

academy of engineering, a panel investigating the cause of the disaster. bp blamed its contractor for the well's failure. the defense department upset with one of its own. it says it purchased and destroyed thousands of copies of a memoir written by an army reserve officer about an undercover operation in afghanistan. the military contends that the book "operation dark heart" could damage national security t. author, lieutenant colonel and bronze star recipient calls it retaliation. barbara, what upset the department so much about this book? >> kyra, they wanted this book, the first run copies destroyed because they said there was classified information in it. when's the last time we heard about the u.s. government ordering the destruction of a book in this country. but here it is. "operation dark heart." this is by lieutenant colonel anthony schaeffer. if you open the second run

edition because the first run has been destroyed, you can see the blacked out passages that the pentagon has now ordered the publisher to work off of. they destroyed about 10,000 copies of this book at military orders, saying that the classified information could not be published. some of it perhaps very sensitive, some of it fairly innocuous such as the name of the cia training facility in virginia, that's something you can look up for yourself right on the internet. here's a little bit more of what lieutenant colonel schaeffer had to say about the government action against his memoir. >> there are some things that the army felt they did not want in it. i took them out. there was no argument. if they felt it was sensitive or couldn't be referenced it's out. that process was completed by january of this year. and from there after i received written permission, the written documents went to the publisher and we moved forward. >> so, if he got written

permission how did all of this happen? how did it get to the point of the obama administration basically ordering the destruction of 10,000 copies of a book? well, by all accounts it did not get authorized at the higher military intelligence levels of the pentagon. once those folks saw it they got concerned and said indeed there was classified information in it and they had to cut up and destroy the initial run of this book. kyra. >> so worries in original copy of the book could surface? >> yeah, i think there is, as you said there is big worries about that. this is the internet age, you know. things go up in cyberspace and there's really no such thing as permanent destruction of knowledge. so, there's a lot of concern that there still are copies floating around out there. >> barbara starr, thanks. taking control of your health. elizabeth cohen is going to introduce us to parent who is trusted their gut and saved their daughter's life. i want to give my 5 employees health insurance,

but i just can't afford it. i have diabetes. i didn't miss a premium payment for 10 years. and i'm worried if i lose my job, i won't be able to afford insurance. when i graduated from college, i lost my health insurance. the minute i got sick, i lost my insurance. not anymore. not anymore. not anymore. america's healthcare reforms change lives for the better. to find out how it can help you, visit us at americasfairhealthcare.org it's not just fair, it's the law.

collecting top stories construction was started in an israeli settlement in the west bank following a 10-month band. it threatens peace talks. president obama sign as small business jobs act expected to create a half million jobs and pump money into banks that lend to businesses. experts say a 120-year-old sand levee along the wisconsin river will collapse. heavy rains have triggered the flooding.

as the nation focuses on how to improve health care one of the recurring themes has been that patients need to take more control. our senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen has a special this weekend called the empowered patient. she joins me to talk about the first of four powerful lessons to save your life and the lives of those that you love. it's right up your alley. perfect subject matter for you. >> for all of us because all of us need to learn the lesson of this particular piece that i'll be with you all week on these, and this is you have to trust your gut. i have the story of a family from ohio where they were told their daughter was okay when they brought her to the emergency room. they knew that she wasn't.

we cooperated with our friends at the animation studio at turner studios to help us bring this story to you. >> one spring evening don mccracken was playing ball with which is kids. he meant to hit a fly ball to his son but it socked his daughter morgan on the head. she knelt to the ground in pain. morgan had a bump on her head. her parents iced it down and she seemed fine. two nights later something changed. >> she started crying. >> tell me what you heard. >> she goes my head, it was hurting. my head's hurting. >> they rushed morgan to the emergency room. >> when the doctor showed up what did he say? >> i'm sure it's late, she's tired. probably a touch of the flu. >> they say the doctor told them to take morgan home and put her to bed but they knew better. their instincts told them this

was no flu virus. they pushed for a ct scan. >> what did you think the results were going to be? >> there was something definitely wrong. you could feel it. >> i thought i knew there was a problem. >> he said i was surprised. he goes i'm surprised. there is something there. >> there was a leakage of blood into her skull. >> medics rushed morgan by helicopter to rainbow babies and children's hospital in cleveland, ohio. >> there is a blood clot in the skull outside the brain called an epidural hematoma. that's what we had to remove to stop the bleeding. >> today, morgan is just fine. >> you feel like a lucky girl? >> yeah. >> lucky because her parents followed their instincts. in the emergency room the doctor said she had a virus and she needed to get rest. if you had listened to that advice and brought her home, to go to bed and rest, what would have happened?

>> she probably wouldn't have woken up the next morning. and we would have lost her. >> you hear stories like that and you get so angry and frustrated with your doctor. thank god the parents went with their gut and said no, i insist on a scan. >> that's right. they certainly did. it is a really good thing. you know what, it plays into one of the -- the surgeon in the story, dr. cohen, he said in medical student they teach the students mother knows best. i think we as parents, even if you're not a parent you need to know that, you know your body best, if something is wrong, don't just take oh, you're okay, rest, you'll be fine, don't take that as an answer. if your instincts tell you something is wrong, push it. >> so what can we do as parents to kind of help encourage our doctors to listen to us and get the diagnosis right? >> there are a couple of things you can do. first, you can say to the doctor, look, i think this is something extremely serious. i wouldn't want us to miss this. and that may make the doctor

sort of worried enough that he will pause. another way to get the doctor to pause, which is what you're trying to do because doctors are busy these days, is ask one crucial question, that is and i talk about this in my book, doctor, what else could this be? slow him down and say okay, i know you think it's the flu but what else could it be? that will rejigger his thinking and cause him to rethink his conclusion. >> good advice. thank you. a friendly program reminder, it airs this saturday and sunday, 7:00 p.m. eastern right here on cnn. you don't want to miss it. >> time has run out. the ban on expanding jewish settlements ended today. what about the prospects for advancing peace? we're live from jerusalem next.

it's monday on wall street. investors have several major deals including southwest's purchase of air tran, alison from the new york stock exchange has the details. we're talking about it all morning. >> something to pay attention to. we have moves including air tran. a flurry of corporate deals in the news, totaling almost $9 billion is catching investors'

attention. the biggest walmart. put a $4 billion bid for a retailer called mass mart. it's just an offer but we also have a couple of deals that have been agreed to. the biggest, unilever is buying alberto culver, the hair products, for $3.7 billion. and finally, southwest airlines is buying air tran for almost $1.5 billion. and for wall street this shows that companies are willing to spend some of the cash they have been hoarding and take some risks and grow their company at this point. >> and so what does the southwest air tran deal mean for all of us the flyers. >> is it going to impact what we pay? >> it could. but at this point nothing is going to happen until the deal closes next year. but generally speaking, airline mergers mean less competition which could lead to higher prices but we'll have to wait and see because there's talk that the opposite could happen,

that prices could fall. think about it. southwest, it's the biggest discounter, and now it's getting bigger so if it holds prices where they are, southwest could prompt other carriers to match its lower fares. one thing we know for sure, the deal is going to mean a bigger presence for southwest, it's going to be able to expand further into cities including atlanta, d.c., boston, baltimore, new york, and some other smaller markets. right now air tran shares are soaring 60%. as for broader market, the dow industrials down 15, the nasdaq is off by 4. we'll keep an eye on the numbers and the merger monday activity for you, kyra. >> alison, thanks. also developing, israel's 10-month band on expanding settlements in the west bank expired hours ago. paula is live in jerusalem. as we understand it, building has resumed around at least two settlements, right? tell us about that. >> reporter: absolutely, kyra.

these are the two settlements that cnn saw with a camera crew and producer this morning so you can't drive around the whole west bank. this is just what we saw in a short amount of time. according to monitors around the place, it is happening everywhere. this is really what we were promised on sunday by the settlers when they were celebrating what they saw as a victory that this settlement freeze had not been extended. they had a rally, a groundbreaking ceremony. and they released balloons, 2,000 balloons to signify 2,000 houses they intend to build in one settlement alone in the west bank. we heard from the palestinian president. remember, he said if you carry on building settlements we'll walk away from the peace talks. what he now said in a press conference in paris in the last hour was he was calling on israel to give it another three or four months to extend the settlement freeze and said that he'd be going to an arab league meeting in october, to try and decide on a joint response from all of the arab nations so

deferring the decision until then. kyra. >> paula, appreciate it. up next, returning to war. we'll follow sergeant randy shorter's emotional journey from home to afghanistan as he heads out for his third tour of duty.

for the past year our jason carroll follow add number of young boys who have become men. we watched these budding soldiers from high school graduation to enlistment to boot

camp to the battlefield. we again catch up with sthd randy shorter and his unit on an emotional journey from home to afghanistan. jason carroll joins us live from new york. hey, jason. >> reporter: hey, kyra. i know you follow the military closely. there are a lot of civilians that might assume when a soldier is deployed their unit goes straight to the assignment overseas. now that the troop surge is under way it can be a drawn out process, one that begins with good-bye. >> hey, sweetie. >> it's randy shorter's last night at home. >> this is the last time in the states. >> but his daughters aren't ready to say good-bye before dad leaves on his third deployment to afghanistan. >> i know it's really difficult for you. >> i just don't want him to go.

>> say cheese. >> the next morning. >> you can't explain the emotions, you know. you can't convey the feelings we're going through. it's hard to explain it. you can't put it in words. >> whether it's one week, one day, doesn't matter. saying good-bye is hard. >> once you go through here you pick up your stuff. >> what's happening now is the first stage of check-in. all the soldiers have an srp packet, a soldier's readiness packet, their medical, dental records. >> if you're scared and you should be so trust your training. trust yourselves, trust your buddy next to you. >> so basically right now everyone's boarding the flight. it's a chartered plane, that's usually what the military does in these situations. does it feel more real now when you're boarding or when you finally get there? >> now.

>> now. >> welcome aboard. >> comfortable? >> the flight takes us from fort campbell, deext shannon, ireland for refueling. >> hours later, more refueling. next stop, transit center in kyrgyzstan. >> where we're going to sleep. got your stuff. >> from the psychological point of view where do you think you and the rest of the men are at this point? >> right now we're kind of still got the feel of home, but in a few hours these guys, you know, they'll actually put their game faces on, once they get their uniform on reality sinks in, now it's time to do business. >> on day four, since leaving the states, we board a c-17 military aircraft to bagram air field, afghanistan.

>> everyone is packed in pretty tight. everyone's tired. but we're finally on our way. >> heavy fighting in the region stops the fifth leg of the trip, our flight to eastern afghanistan aborted midair. >> we're never leaving this place. >> the last wave of the troop surge to afghanistan creates a bottleneck on flights. >> the waiting like this, for someone like you on your first deployment, does that help with your nerves, does it make you more -- >> it makes me a little more nervous. like i said, you got to get psyched up and it's hard to keep psyching and psyching yourself up. >> the longer they stay here the mary they hear what's going on. that builds more. it makes them more nervous only because they don't know what to expect. >> finally a flight opens on to our final destination. >> a few minutes ago we arrived here at sharana.

sergeant shorter is making sure all of the paperwork is squared away. then they can get on with their mission. >> it's good to get here, tired of waiting. >> the wait would not be much longer. >> there was an explosion. >> shorter's mission would take his platoon outside the base to confront the threat of ieds. >> praying that nothing happened down there. the word is some children got injured. >> well, we thought it was supposed to be the final stop. his orders were changed. he was sent to a smaller one a few miles away so the journey continued. and we'll be following him along the way. >> we look forward to the next level in his life. jason, thanks. protester tries to get into the face of senator john mccain and winds up face down on the ground.

>> john mccain has to go. >> next hour, more on the post debate pushdown.

steven colbert back in new york city after facing what may have been the toughest audience, congress. as we mentioned last week t kmed central host talking about undocumented farm workers. he stayed in character nearly the entire time. >> picking beans, packing corn for hours on end side by side, in the unforgiving sun, i have to say and i do mean this sincerely, please don't make me

do this again. it is really, really hard. for one thing when you pick beans you have to spend all day bending over, it turns out, i did not know this, but most soil is at ground level. if we can put a man on the moon why can't we make the earth waist high? come on, where is the funding? >> time now to see what's crossing the political ticker. paul steinhauser in washington. what you got, paul? >> i can't top colbert but let's start with tea. it's the morning. i'll talk about the tea party express t. cross country tours. we are waiting and we expect the tea party express to announce their upcoming fourth national tour. last week i learned it would be a two-week tour wo go cross country and end on election day, november 2nd and end in nevada. tea party express really gunning

after reid. check this out, a new poll. national survey, we asked how americans feel about the tea party movement whether it's too extreme or not. the bottom, 43% say the tea party movement is too extreme but that's close to the 42% who said that the democratic party is too extreme. the question will be how will they do in the general election with the moderate electorate. let's talk about joe biden. floyd, come in, take a look. just up a few minutes ago the vice president is heading to new hampshire talking about the economy but also helping out democrats. congressman oats running for the open senate seat and congressman porter, this is a difficult climate for democrats. the vice president was up last month to help. back up again. and finally, guess who else is in new hampshire today. a guy called haley barbour. the governor of mississippi, he's going to be campaigning on the republican side.

no surprise because haley barbour of course is the chairman of the republican governors association so this is what he's supposed to do. wait, he also may abcandidate, maybe a candidate for the 2012 gop presidential campaign so. going to new hampshire may not be a bad idea. kyra, back to you. >> paul, thanks. your next political update in about an hour. reminder for the latest political news go to our website cnnpolitics.com. [ male announcer ] the financial headlines can be unsettling. but what if there were a different story? of one financial company

that grew stronger through the crisis. when some lost their way, this company led the way. by protecting clients and turning uncertainty into confidence. what if that story were true? it is. ♪ it is. i'm ahmed mady and i'm a homebuilder. my father brought me up to give back to society... felicia jackson promised her late sister that she would take care of her children. but she needed help. i used my american express open card to get half a million points to buy building materials to help build the jackson family a new home. well, i know if my dad was still around, he would have told me, with no doubt... he would have told me it's a no brainer and i knew that from the start. it was an honor. booming is moving forward by giving back.

told you it was a mess in here. >> she should know. >> she did it. >> you and you pack your bags. >> remember that classic? the parent trap, starring the adorable lindsay lohan. she was so sweet and innocent. free of scandal. now this disney darling has been deem add disaster again. we watched her train wreck of a love life from back street boys little brother to her love affair with famed deejay

samantha runson. then the run-ins with the law. now when you think it could get worse comes the front page of the daily mail online showing pictures of lindsay lohan allegedly shooting up something and lip locking with paris hilton. she's an international headline grabbing mess. so, why do we pay attention to . why do we even pay attention to her? we never saw shirley temple -- which brings me to the issue of the judge. he threatened her with 30 days in jail for each probation violation. keyword. threatened. why not just do it? throw her in the slammer and let her sweat it out. she is disrespectful to authorities, doesn't show up for alcohol counciling and now, she confirmed that she failed a court ordered drog alcohol

screening. unfortunately, she has been, like it or not, idolized as a child actress. we need to get past the addiction. addiction to drama and just hold these kids accountable for real. for once. here's what we're working on. >> aaccusations that have been made against pastor eddie long. he speaks to his flock for the first time. a child suffers an injury, an emergency doctor says it's no big deal, what parent ks do to be empowered patients. i'm allison koison kosik, w watching shares of air tran

soar. we'll tell you what it means next hour. >> thanks to all of you. plus, hollywood takes on the problems with our schools. the people who made the new movie hope it sparks debate and change. we're talking with the producer in the next hour. ♪ i love my grandma. i love you grandma. grandma just makes me happy. ♪ to know, know, know you grandma is the bestest. the total package. grandpa's cooooooooool. way cool. ♪ grandpa spoils me rotten. ♪ to know, know, know you ♪ is to love... some people call us frick and frack. we do finger painting. this is how grandpa and i roll.

♪ and i do [ pins fall ] grandma's my best friend. my best friend ever. my best friend ever. ♪ [ laughing ] [ boy laughs ] ♪ to know, know, know you after this we're gonna get ice cream. can we go get some ice cream? yeah. ♪ and i do ♪ and i do ♪ and i do

cnn's taking a food journey all this week and we've sent reporting teams to every corner of america and beyond. our mission, to get fresh answers about how our food is grown, how the choices we make impact our health, state of mind, budgets and pure joy of eating. this hour, is organic really better for you? we sent john to check out the difference in price and taste. >> reporter: take a look at this soil. it's rich in organic matter. perfect for growing organic products and that's what dan howard is doing back there. he's putting in his first crop of green beans. howard has seven acres here. he'll get about 1400 bushels of

beans. i imagine when you're farming organic, soil preparation is key. >> very important. in fact, the world of organic farming is oil building, the contant effort to increase the organic matter in your soil. >> reporter: before beans, this field was for decades an orange grove. it's filled, howard says, with left behind organic matter, but it takes more than just good soil to label a product organic. >> they're getting a crop that is grown naturally without the use of chemicals, chemical fertilizers or spray in puts. that's it in a nutshell. >> reporter: dan's beans will start showing up just in time for thanksgiving. because of higher labor costs from hand weeding and restrictions, his beans will cost a lot more. you got a pound and a half of

beans here and 12 ounces here and these are $1.96 and these are $4.99. >> that's the limitation for a lot of people to buy organic. >> reporter: we went with a licensed diet igs to a local supermarket. >> there isn't a significant difference between the nutrients of nonorganic and organic, but these are saufr because they don't have the pesticides. >> reporter: if you want organic, but budget is a limiting factor, by spinach, blueberries and freets and venlgables you don't have to peel. you don't have to worry about the pesticides because you're peeling them. if you're wondering about flavor, we had bill mitchell

saute organic beans and conventionally grown beans. i'll keep my opinion to myself. >> and as we focus on making better food choices, we are pleased to announce a partnership with the new social networks craze, four square. >> there's over 6,000 farmers markets in the united states. you can see all these red dots represent those farmers markets. we've partnered with four square, so if you follow us on four square and go to one of these, you'll going to unlock the cnn healthy eater badge. i went to a farmer's market sunday at the peach tree road. let's take a look. we're at peach tree road farmers market in atlanta, georgia. i'm going to demonstrate how we're using four scare square. you can check in at one of over

6,000 farmers markets. you check in and download the badge. and you said these ones are a l little bit spicier. >> sometimes, around the seeds there might be more heat to them. >> seed. on your mobile phone, you come to a place like a farmers market and check in. it lets your friend now online where you are. if you check in to a farmers market like this one, you're going to get a cnn special healthy eater badge. >> you check in on four square? >> i have. there's my badge. >> excellent. and with your badge, you get your choice of several prizes today. whole wheat pasta, mustard greens, a pumpkin, pesto. >> thank you so much. >> absolutely. >> all right. derek, anything else to add?

>> are you going to go check in? >> yes, i am. now that i've seen this. i love farmers markets. and price wise, i seem to do better as well. >> it was a lot of fun. >> thanks so much. eatocracy continues next hour. i'll be talking to an atlanta chef. go to cnn.com for more stories on healthy eating and learn about how to unlock the badge on four square. do you have questions about organic versus nonorganic? go to my blog. we'll read them on the air in the next hour. it is the top of the hour and the leader of one of the nation's most infu enchurches is

ready to fight allegations. eddie long stood at the pulpit sunday defending himself in front of thousands of parishioners. >> as i said earlier, i am not a perfect man. but this thing, i'm going to fight. and i want you to know one other thing. i feel like david against goliath, but i got five rocks and i haven't thrown one yet. >> that was the first time that long spoke publicly abo lpublic. what did you make of yesterday's sermon. >> he said last week has been the most difficult week in his

entire life and for many of the members of his congregation, that was true for them as well. standing before an overflowing crowd in the megachurch he built, bishop eddie long was in no mood to back down. >> there have been allegations and attacks made on me. i have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man. but i am not the man that's being portrayed on the television.

that's not me. that is not me. >> reporter: it was long's first public comments since four men filed lawsuits accusing him of using his spiritual position and church's wealth to coerce them into sex. so many came to hear what long had to say, traffic was still snarled as the service began. what do you hope to hear today? >> the truth. >> reporter: inside, they waited an hour for their pastor to appear. when he did, washingtoni iwalki hand with his wife, the crowd came to his feet. clearly feeling at home, he acknowledged those listening went far beyond his usual crowd. good morning, newburgh and good morning to all our other guests. >> reporter: when long eventually turned to the scandal itself, the levity was gone. >> i have been accused.

i'm under attack. >> reporter: and his intentions became clear, describing a legal battle of biblical proportions. >> i am not a perfect man, but this thing, i'm going to fight. and i want you to know one other thing, i feel like david against goliath, but i got five rocks and i haven't thrown one yet. >> interesting analogy to be considering himself david. one of the things we need after the service, go out and talk to parishioners as they were leaving. they do believe their bishop is innocent even though he did not use those exact words. there were others though that because he did not make a specific denial, they weren't sure what to think. >> eddie long's scope of influence touches tens of thousands of people, but it's

been a two-decade climb to reach the status of religious power house. in 1987, his congregation was just a few hundred strong. now, there are more than 25,000 meps. they listen to him preach that god wants people to be wealthy, that homosexuality is unaccepted. my next guest disagrees. >> you know when you're a tru sheppard. >> he is a close friend of eddie long's, but lost a lot of his flock when he began preaching that everyone has a place in heaven, including gay people. good to see you. tough circumstances for you to be here. maybe just -- i'll start with why did you change your

philosophy? why did you go out on a limb and say gays are accepted in heaven? >> my gay friends, and i have several, that over the years were some of the most sensitive, loving, generous people. some were members of my family. i got tired of sending them to hell. it was the hell issue. they're going through it now. these brilliant human beings spending eternity in a custom e customized torture chamber, it messed with my theology and my heart. i started preaching that everybody has access to the god we preach. the devotion to the devil and hell is as strong to anybody's devotion to jesus in many of the christian circles.

>> we're going to talk more about that in a minute, but eddie long. your very good friend. he sought your advice, your counsel, a number of times. did he reach out to you when this started happening? >> i reached out to him. a couple of years ago, he braced me, when he knew that i had been sort of castigated from the church, he walked up to me at the trumpet awards and said, bishop, we didn't do you right. that was very powerful for him because no one else had said it that way. >> interesting for someone who's been very vocal about homo sexuality. when you said i accept. >> i think in his heart, he does accept them. i think in all of our hearts,

it's not ko sure if i can use that terminology, because people like ted haggard, ted couldn't have gone where he went in our christian movement in he was gay. so, he went as far as we would and then they said, oh, no, you don't qualify any longer. the kid was on my college wing at oru. in grieves me that we treat people the way we do once we find out they stop impersonating who they aren't. the imposters are falling away. what would we do if eddie long really was involved in these relationships and then what would we do? throw him away? do we castigate him? he's a prince of a preacher. a prince of a person. he's a generous spirit. an incredible work at the city. infidelity, adultery, that's a whole other subject, but if he did this, the question is what

would we do. the people rejoiced sunday because he didn't admit to anything. >> that's what's interesting. he didn't admit to anything. there is a possibility. he said, i'm not a perfect man, but he did not come up and say, i am not gay. he didn't say those words. he didn't say these fears, these concerns coming forward, this talk about me specifically. it was vague. so, what -- i mean, and of course, these are all allegations. what if he does come forward and say, i told you i wasn't a perfect man and i had been struggling with this issue. and he does say that he's gay. what if this story changes? how will you deal with that? will you accept him, embrace him? how would you counsel him as his friend? >> i would put my arms around him like he did me and say, we

will do you right. the scripture says if the brother is taken over by a fault, you who are spiritual, not critical, restore, repair, adjust, if that's his case and he's been saying otherwise and he's dealing with inner issues, usually, the people that speak the most vociferously against something are dealing with it in their own life. the one that's railing against drugs or drinking or sex. and it's not the issue of homosexuality, it's human sexuality. they interplay. so, it's wrong for, i'm not for christian cannibalism. eating our dead or dying, destroying them the way we do so many people. before this got into the media and into the courts, i wish the young man would have come to

some of the apostles and confronted the bishop and said, let's deal with this and then if he didn't, take it out to the courts. if we find out that these allegations are true, those who really love the church and bishop will gather around him and embrace him and let him talk to us. who could he have spoken to? what could he have said? >> you've talked about this as well. the issue of being a black, gay man. especially in the church. and a man within ministry, gospel music. there have been allegations that have come forward. there have been individuals that have come forward and said, i'm gay and have been completely shut out out of black church because of that. why is it so unacceptable to be a black man and to be gay and to lead a flock? why is it so taboo?

it's not just biblical. there's a cultural feeling here. >> that's for white folks. y'all are supposed to do that stuff. we real men. i said that in jest, but -- >> that's what's going on. >> we don't do weird stuff. now, the other hypocritical aspect of that is our churches, kyra, are filled with same gender, loving people. from the music department to the pulpits. black music, church music, where would it be without our gay musicians and singers. >> but many have come to you, i'm gay, but can't come out. we're talking very powerful people in the gospel industry. >> yes, ma'am. with tear ins their eyes, they were afraid. there are people who have come to me and said, i embrace your gospel of inclusion, but it's not a theological decision with

me. i lose my flock, myself. i can't love everybody. can't even love me, he would say. i want to say to that group, and this is a wake-up call. until the church, the church, black or otherwise, confronts, not combats, confront this is issue of human sexuality and homosexuality, which is not going away, if every gay person in our church just left or those who have an orientation or preference or fantasy, we wouldn't have a church. >> interesting. >> there are gay doctors. police officers, attorneys. look at the whole catholic church. all this idea of celibacy, it's not natural, but it's not. just like the christian church is having to confront its issues. it's platonic, plastic, superficial portrayals of an

angry god, an eternal place where everyone's going to burn, this god is going to turn you over to the devil. it's fairy tale stuff, but we bought into it and maybe we missed it on many of these issues. >> this has definitely caught international attention. he's a very powerful man. very powerful man of god and he's brought up an issue that has been simmering for a very long time. as this story continues, we know it's not going away, can we continue this dialogue? i would love to talk to you more as you counsel bishop eddie long and let's talk more about this. >> bishop eddie long is just the tip of the iceberg. i think the universe is not judging, but correcting itself. i love bishop long. i love anybody and i'll be here for them and i love your tenderness in dealing with this.

it's a delicate subject, i'm trying to be as discreet as i can. it's here and we've got to deal with it. >> i respect very much what you've preached and look forward to talking to you more about this. thank you so much. more straight ahead. sure i'd like to diversify my workforce, i just wish that all of the important information was gathered together in one place. [ printer whirs ] done. ♪ thanks. do you work here? not yet. from tax info to debunking myths, the field guide to evolving your workforce has everything you need. download it now at thinkbeyondthelabel.com. [ male announcer ] nature is unique... ...authentic...

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as the nation focuses on how to improve health care, one of the reoccurring things has been that patients need to take more control. elizabeth cohen has a special this weekend and i'm sure you've bought her book, too. to save your life and the lives of those you love. that's big section in your book. what we need to do to be

proactive for our kids. >> we're going to be talking about this on your show all week and then this weekend. the first story is a parent's nightma nightmare. you know your child is seriously ill, but when you get to the hospital, they don't take you seriously and say your child is fine. an ohio family faced that question and we're going to tell their story with the help of animation folks and turner studios. what to do when you know you're right. >> reporter: one spring even, don was playing ball with his kids in the yard. he meant to hit a fly ball to his son, matthew, but instead, it socked his 7-year-old daughter on the head. she knelt to the ground in pain. morgan had quite a bump on her head. her parents iced it down and she seemed fine. two nights later, something changed. >> she started crying. >> what did you hear?

>> my head, it's hurting. she was holding it. my head's hurting. >> they rushed morgan to the emergency room. what did the doctor say? >> it's late, she's tired, probably a touch of the flu. >> they said the doctor said to take her home and put her to bed, but they knew better. they pushed the doctor for a ct scan off morgan's brain. what did you think the results would be? >> there was something wrong. >> in my heart, i thought i knew there was a problem. >> they came back and said, i'd surprised. there's something there. >> there was a leakage of blood into her skull. >> medics rushed morgan to rainbow babies and children's hospital in ohio. >> this is a big blot clot. that's what we had to remove to take out the clot and stop the bleeding. >> today, morgan's just fine.

do you feel like a lucky girl? >> yeah. >> lucky because her parents followed their instigts. in the emergency room, the doctor said she had a virus. if you had listened to that advice and brought her home, what would have happened? >> she probably wouldn't have woken up the next morning. >> it is such a lesson for us to learn. not only as parents, but even spouses or friends that we are our best advocates. >> you know your body better than anyone else. as the doctor said, we teach our students, mother knows best. and you have to keep in mind, medicine is more of an art than a science. there's no, often there's no science behind what doctors say. they use their best judgment and all of that, but in the end, if

you feel something's not right, you have to speak up. >> how do you convince your doctor their your doctor is is wrong? you have to fight for, no, i want this. >> right. in this situation, there are two things they did that were very smart. one is they said to the doctor, you know, we are nervous that this is something more serious. it would be terrible if this were more serious than you think it is and that made him hopefully nervous enough that we went ahead and did the ct scan. you can ask one simple question. and that is, doctor, what else could this be? if he says something and you think it's something else, as if that something else is a possibility. it may make them pause and rejigger their thinking and wonder if they've reached that conclusion too quickly. >> thanks. and taking control of your health airs this saturday and sunday. 7:00 p.m. eastern right here on cnn. after using rogaine for a while, i went to my stylist

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mergers have been taking off the last two years. first, it was delta and northwest and continental and united and today, southwest says it's buying airtran. less competition often means higher prices, right? >> it depends who you ask. fares have been on the rise this year. some expect them to go up. for one, it's because oil prices are still high and oil prices are expected to keep going higher as the economy recovers as it improves and there's more demand for oil. also, airlines are trying to make up for a slowdown in air travel. but the other side of the coin, others say the deal could wind up putting pressure on those main line carriers to cut their prices. since the recession, discounters have become major players in the airline business and southwest carries more travelers than any

other u.s. airline, so it could become the trend setter. the deal will mean fewer fees. southwest currently doesn't charge for your first two checked bags. airtran does charge for the first checked bag. after the deal closes, southwest fee structure will take over. at least that's what we know now. >> so, all right, when can we expect to see the changes permanently? >> the carriers will operate separately until the deal closes next year, so you may not see anything change until next year. and wall street is cheering the deal today. they like mergers news. it's good for the economy. right now, shares of airtran are up 60% because shareholders are getting a big premium over friday's price. southwest shares are up about 4%. we'll see how they come out as well. as for the dow industrials, they've been on a tear lately,

but right now are taking a pause. down about 18. the nasdaq off about six and the s&p off about two. >> thanks so much. if you're digging into breakfast, is your cereal organic, your fruits and vegetables? and those eggs? we've got a chef telling us the difference in price, taste and more as we kick off our focus on food this week. like it's some k. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 it's either this magic number i'm supposed to reach, or... tdd# 1-800-345-2550 it's beach homes or it's starting a vineyard. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 come on! tdd# 1-800-345-2550 just help me figure it out in a practical, tdd# 1-800-345-2550 let's-make-this-happen kind of way. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 a vineyard? give me a break. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 [ male announcer ] looking for real-life answers tdd# 1-800-345-2550 to your retirement questions? tdd# 1-800-345-2550 get real. get started. talk to chuck. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 and i was a pack-a-day smoker for 25 years. i do remember sitting down with my boys, and i'm like, "oh, promise mommy you'll never ever pick up a cigarette."

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personal pricing now on brakes. tell us what you want to pay. we do our best to make that work. deal! my money. my choice. my meineke. cnn has taken a cross-country food journey all this week. our mission is to get fresh answers about how our food is grown. how the choices we make impact our health, state of mind, budgets and we just love tauging about the pure joy of eating as well. we've teamed up with

eatocracy.com. in this hour, we're focusing on the organic food boom. people are willing to pay a premium for those little stickers that say usda organic. back in 1990, americans spent a billion dollars on organic foods. fast forward almost two decades, we've spent nearly 25 times that much. but buying organic is not cheap. we went to safeway.com and checked prices in the l.a. area. taking a look at basic stuff like milk, ground beef, juice and eggs. we put six products in our chart and the difference in price between organic and not is upwards of $12. we want to know if it's worth it. so we brought in one of our local chefs. he works at the watershed restaurant in decatur, georgia. joe, what made you want to work

specifically with organic food? >> well, you know, quite frankly, it's just, in watershed's case, being from the country myself, growing up in a small rural town in louisiana close to the source is something i'm used to. in my 26 years of cooking in the culinary field, all fine restaurants and quality establishments do this. it seems like -- really, it's standard operating procedure for restaurants of good reputation. >> i like at what you brought in. i'm seeing onions, carrots -- >> it is a squash. >> when it comes to this food, you can't really tell the

difference except maybe in size. >> and at the cash register. >> so, is one better than the other? let's start with what you have here. >> i wanted to do something that most people -- i went to a grocery store chain and bought some organic products from there and conventionally formed products just to show really, there are some distinctions although they look like there's not, for example, the garlic, the organic garlic as opposed to conventional garlic. the size the different. reason being, with conventionally formed produce, because of the fertilizer treatments and hybrids of variety, they get bigger. and probably a quick amount of time. also the same for onions. >> okay. >> the reason for this, a lot of the conventional forming came about to combat famine. but now, we live in a day and

age where we're not starving to death. at least in this country. so we need look at these practices to see if it's sustainable for the earth and good for our health. >> that's my question. let's say we took the onions and carrots. am i, is it worth paying more for the organic, for these specific items? >> well, that's a very good question. my answer would be, well, if you can afford it, yes. if you're going to take the time to cook for your family, which is a whole new thing, too, because we have so many busy lives, when i go to the stores, i often see people pulling out quarters and nickels at the cash register, so it strikes me as people are on a fixed budget. so it might not be practical to always by organic. >> are there foods that you would say, it doesn't matter if you go organic or not.

like for example, bananas that you peel or an avocado. would you, could you safely say, that is definitely not worth paying for more? >> well, no, but conversely, i will say that there are some things i would never deal down on. >> and that would be? >> certain humane practices when it comes to raising animals. it's very important to me, i think it's great that the care that of the animal's life and how it was raised is very much important and it translates into the final product as well. it's something that i always look for. >> but say for example a drink, like a so-called healthy drink and it says organic on it. i look at these, it's high in sugar, high in salt. i read the ingredients and am thinking, it says organic so you think it's more healthy, but

it's not. >> there in lies the rub. i know a lot of farmers who aren't certified organic, but practice organic farming. they just can't afford the organic certification. usda organic has certain -- can people, you know -- you're right. if i see an energy drink that says organic, i'd be skeptical. i wouldn't associate beverages in a can as organic. >> final question then. if i were to go into the store and want to be healthy and think organic's the way to go. is there one or two things i should always have in my mind, could this be worth it or not? >> when it comes to vegetables, let your eyes and instincts guide you.

if it looks fresh and alive, go for that one. you have to live within your means. i think that's a resounding theme that we should all practice. whether it's how you choose your vegetables or running your finances. >> the restaurant is watershed. >> we're shaking things up. >> thanks for coming in. eatocracy, mind, body and wallet continues next hour. learn more about how to unlock the cnn healthy eater bablg on four square. hollywood takes on the problem with our schools and the people who made the new movie, "waiting for superman," are trying to spark change. ♪

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all that talk this congress about extending tax cuts, well, forget it. no vote until after the november election. democrats say they don't have enough votes to keep the cuts. the national weather service says a 120-year-old sand levy in wisconsin is failing. some homes are flooded by recent rains. as many as 100 could be affected by the failure. hyundai going to recall nearly 140,000 sonata sedans. they will replace affected parts for free.

well, if you have a child in school, you might be familiar with the lottery to get your kid into a better school. that process is part of a new documentary about public education in america called "waiting for superman." take a look. >> for these kids, their only chance at getting into a great school depends on whether their number is picked in a lottery. >> 18. >> 10. 12. 2. and the last number -- >> that movie is to teach us all about education and it is in theatres now. leslie chillcot produced it and

is here with us. i know we got jammed on time on friday and it gave us a chance to see how id edit over the weekend. are you happy with what has generated so far? >> i am really happy. we talk about a high per screen average and we had an amazing weekend. it's really nice after working on something for so long that people actually go to the theatre and see it. i'm very pleased. >> well, you know, for decades, we've been talking about our schools and how tough it is. depending on where you live, how much money you have, where you grow up, really defines your education. and it really is unfair when you look at what's offered throughout the united states because it's so segregated and you know, what was it that just finally struck you and guggenheim and others to put this together? what was one thing that just inspired you to say, all right rk we have to do this.

>> i think in a way, it's the fight to end all fights. i mean, how do we fix global warming? health care, poverty, the economic system if we don't have an educationed society. it's ground zero for these problems. our goal was to put personal faces on this large problem and bring it back through the eyes of kids and their parents and how unfair it is that every kid in america, right now, can't get a great education. we wanted to show that with these new reforms and amazing steps people are taking that it is possible for every kid, no matter where they're from. >> you talk about the kids, the parents and you talk about the educators. one such educationor is jeffrey canada. let's take a look at a clip with jeffrey and then i want to ask you about him. >> i was like, superman -- su r

superman is not real. she thought i was crying because there was no one coming with enough power to save us. kids look at the world and make certain predictions based on the evidence they're receiving from their peers, parents and teachers. from their sper perspective, the world is a heartless, co cold-blooded place because they realize they've been given the short end of the stick and don't know why. >> he is dynamic, so well spoken. why did you choose him in particular as a strong character for your film? >> he has done amazing things. he has literally proven by taking over 97 square blocks in harlem and hiring and training and cultivating great teachers,

that every kid can learn. a long time ago, we used to say if the problems of the nabld are the home and all these are insurmountable, we're going to lose of these schools. he says if they're not going to use that as an excuse. so far, year after year, he's been proving that. he's a hero to a lot of people and we were really lucky that he's been able to be a leader in this movement and participate so much in the film. >> let me ask you about the criticism. one thing that stood out, this blog, a group called learning matters. when the p president of this group says the film strikes me as a mix of contradictions, even half truths. while it may make for a box office splash, its message is

oversimplified to the point of being insulting. we know that only one in five charter schools work and do well, so how do you respond to that? because you did pick a couple of the ones that are working very well and hallelujah for that, but what about all the other ones that don't work? what do you think of the criticism that's come forward? >> it's interesting to talk about it in terms of oversimplifying. the problems are complicated, but the solutions are not. it's the work that is hard. despite how everyone feels about certain things about what the adults in this issue argue over, there is unanimous consensus that number one, there is a crisis and number two, that great teachers and cultivation and valuing of teachers. we have this prestige deficit here. we don't reward them enough. i think that is a really good start and instead of focusing on

all of what people argue about, we need to focus on these solutions, which are not that complicated. the work to get it done is hard, but the solutions are very, very simple. >> you hit it on the issue of teachers. i still keep in touch with one of my high school teachers and i wouldn't be here today if she didn't believe in me and push me hard. i bet a lot of your heart and experience went into this as well. every successful person seems to have an amazing story about an amazing teacher and you seemed to highlight that. a protest eer tries to get the face of senator john mccain and winds up face down on the ground. a post debate pushdown. just one of the stories we're covering in our political ticker, next. ♪

i used to see the puddles, but now i see the splash. ♪ i wanted love, i needed love ♪ ♪ most of all, most of all... ♪ what's crossing, mark? >> wolf blitzer's team is preparing for their show this afternoon. let's talk about what we have in the hopper. right now, we've talked bt how democrats are in trouble in the midterm elections. look at these new cnn poll numbers. it comes down to the economy. we asked the american public is

the economy still in a recession. 74% of americans said yes. 25% said it is not. even more disturbing, when asked have obama's policies made the economy better, only 36% said in fact the president's policies had made the economy better. 61% said have not. that is very disturbing for democrats as they head to the midterm election. let's talk about the video you talked about. senator john mccain was debating last night, rodney glassman, the democratic nominee and afterwards, john mccain walking outside the debate and a protester came up to him and got into his face. saying john mccain has got to go. afterwards, she was taken down, she said this is how peace activists get treated and the warmongerer, john mccain, gets

to walk out. we are seeing midterm elections show controversy and raising some anger. let's close with this. molly levinson wrote this story about cape cod. there is a congressional race there. this is actually ted kennedy's district. the late ted kennedy. we have the democrat, who has decided to retire and the republican is taking on the democrat. the fact we're talking about a massachusetts congressional election going into democrat hands shows you how bad. take a look at the new cnn politics website. we talked about it last week. full of items. good stuff on the air. thanks. >> thanks. our next political update in about an hour. gecko: gd news sir, i jugot ae

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we honor the men and women in ewuniform who have given the lives in iraq and afghanistan. we call it "home and away." today, we're lifting up robert newton. ireporter cindy miller attended his homecoming and sent these pictures. she didn't know robert, but watched the motorcade and was

outside during the funeral. she brought her 4-year-old son with her. she said the turnout was amazing. she said robert had just turned 21 in iraq. this was his second tour. she said, we were heartbroken, he was one of our own. if there's someone you'd like us to honor, go to cnn.com/home and away. time in the member's name and type in the pro file. we promise we will keep your hero's memory alive.